The Legend of Zelda series is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time. Ever since its debut on NES in 1986, Nintendo has consistently delivered awe-inspiring experiences that often define entire console generations. More than a handful of Link’s adventures are among the greatest games ever created.
That makes ranking The Legend of Zelda series a challenging endeavor, as it was for all the Mario games. We did just that, though — from the 8-bit era all the way to the high-definition open-world game Breath of the Wild (and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom). Our journey through the history of The Legend of Zelda starts now.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
92% 4.5/5 Platforms Wii U, Nintendo Switch Genre Role-playing (RPG), Adventure Developer Nintendo Publisher Nintendo Release March 03, 2017 <div data-cloudcity="" data-type=«button» data-pid=«tL9wg7Gbbq» data-limit=«2» data-cta_pattern="$%price %merchant" id=«dtcc-tL9wg7Gbbq»>
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took a ton of risks. Gone were the traditional dungeons, replaced with 120 small-scale puzzle shrines and a handful of slightly larger-scale Divine Beasts. With that came the switch to weapons that degraded with use, changing a big part of the core identity of Zelda in the process.
Breath of the Wild ushered Zelda into the modern era, turning Hyrule into a truly open world, a sprawling, lavish piece of land that held a treasure trove of secrets. These twists in the formula ultimately paid off.
Breath of the Wild maintained the series’s almost indescribable sense of wonder while pushing the franchise in a startling, wondrous new direction emphasizing the freedom of exploration. It’s not only the best Zelda game (and Switch game), it’s arguably the greatest game ever made. Nintendo is also working on a direct sequel to
Breath of the Wild that we can’t wait for. Related
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